42. Forty-Two

Vastian didn’t know this, but I was shitting my pants.

Rapists were twisted sons of bitches. And judging by what I saw earlier, Damian was no different. It didn’t take a genius to figure out whose steps we both heard belonged to.

I watched Vastian shrivel despite not moving an inch. When people tell me exceptionally long stories about their woes, I don’t listen. But I heard every word with Vastian, and I remembered.

Damian was the man he’d been in love with, and he begged him to help him when the Queen decided he would be her sperm donor.

I didn’t know what came first, the reveal of their love or the rape, but I’m assuming Damian took it too far. He was too ashamed of himself, and Vastian paid for it.

Alright, gods, I need you to hear me. One of you fuckers keeled over and fucked up my man’s life. Good job, assholes. But I need help. You’ve ignored me for years, let me suffer, but don’t do this to him. If one of you is dying, I’ll willingly accept whatever magic you need to hand over. Just… don’t let this happen.

The cell was nothing like the ones at the Under Cloud penitentiary. This was a cube of rock with a single slate door. I could hardly see it was so dark, except for the sliver of light coming from underneath it. All the blood left my arms a while ago, but I wiggled my fingers anyway.

Why did they chain me like this, but he got to sit with his hands in his lap? The lock on the door unlatched, and it swung open. Vastian didn’t look, but I did.

Oh, I fucking did.

Damian stood in the doorway, glaring at me. I offered my best smile, batted my eyelashes, and then blew him a kiss. If I got a rise out of him, at least he’d fuck with me instead of Vastian. Unfortunately, Damian was not amused or affected. He straightened his suit jacket and brushed his slick hair back.

Narrowing my eyes, it dawned on me. This guy is really insecure. The fidgeting, the desire to look perfect, and the fact he got outed a while ago probably still stings.

No one deserves to be outed against their will. No one. But fuck this Vampyr.

“So,” I clicked my tongue and cracked my neck, “I hear you are a big fan of cock. The ultimate bottom.”

When his lips thinned, I smiled bigger. “Tell me, Damian, do you bend over to get fucked? Head between your legs? Or do you lay on your back?” His eyes twitched. Good, this is working. All eyes on me, you twat. “Oh, I’m sorry, are you ashamed of your anal pleasures? Don’t be. You’re in good company. I personally enjoy riding backward and being spun.”

Vastian was stoic as a wall. I don’t think he took a single breath. But that was okay; I was doing this for him. “You’re a tough guy, aren’t you? Big and strong. You don’t even have to ask, do you? You just take it.” My grin contorted then, no longer feigning amusement but acknowledgement.

Damian slowly walked toward me. When I glanced down at his cock, it was swelling against his pants. What a sick fuck! “You like this shit, don’t you? I have an exceptionally filthy mouth. Even filthier tongue.”

With a snarl, he grabbed my throat, breathing heavily and his chest straining against his shirt. “What are you?”

“Turning you the fuck on.” I winked.

He let go of my neck and slapped me. “If you’re trying to get me to cry, you’ll have to pay me more. Your dad did last night,” I teased.

He punched me now, but his cock stayed hard. I glanced at Vastian. His eyes were round, but his knuckles were chalk. “Let’s get out of here. You can hit me harder.”

Damian stilled, unsure how to handle me. Welcome to the club.

He didn’t know that I had no intention of getting hit. All I needed was something sharp and an opportunity. But he didn’t take the fucking bait. He sobered, straightened, and stomped over to Vastian. He grabbed the chains attached to the anchors and unlocked them, leaving Vastian shackled but moveable. Pulling Vastian to a stand, I lunged forward, unable to get far.

“Thanks for getting me hard. It was helpful.” Damian flashed me a devious smirk and shoved Vastian through the door.

“What the fuck! NO! Vastian!” I flung my body around like a wild animal, desperate to escape. No! This can’t happen.

“Vastian! I’ll come for you! I swear by the gods, I will come for you!” The only response I got was the steel of the door slamming shut.

“Fuck! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you all!” I foamed at the mouth, my legs kicking at the air, and I yanked and yanked at the metal rings holding me from him.

“Help me, you motherfuckers!” I screamed at the ceiling. Wishing, but knowing no one heard me.

Hours went by. Fucking hours.

I was so exhausted that I couldn’t even lift my legs. My wrists had split, broken, and rehealed too many times to count. And not to mention—Lucios kept screaming at me.

“I’m trying to fix it, damn it!” I yelled right back, but even that was a poor attempt. It came out like a forced cough versus an actual yell.

Damian was up there, with Vastian, hurting him, using him, and I was down there, fucking useless. Sweat poured off my body, and my clothes clung to my skin, making an awful squishing noise every time I moved. There was nothing I could do. Even if I pulled my own arms off, they’d still be stuck in those shackles. And I couldn’t fight without my arms.

Growling, I cracked my head against the wall. “A little help would be nice!” I called up to the gods. Gods that were currently ignoring everything. “Honestly, what is the point of you shitheads if you refuse to acknowledge what’s happening down here?”

I laughed hysterically, and tears poured down my cheeks. “You gave him power he didn’t ask for. You ruined his life. And you all sit up there, on your ivory thrones, basking in your own shit! I hope you choke on your grapes! I hope you—”

“It is a common misconception that we cannot hear the wallowing of our creations, but you have been by far the most insufferable.” A voice boomed off the walls, and I screamed bloody murder.

A figure walked from the shadows. I blinked, swallowed, and blinked again. Unable to process the creature standing there, holding a black rose tipped in gold.

They moved with ethereal grace, a voice neither masculine nor feminine, and draped in a silken robe. White hair brushed down their back, curling at the tips, and they were glowing as if light emanated from under their skin.

“Well, bend me over and call me sassy! Are you a fucking god?” I gaped, not that the initial shock had worn off.

They scrunched their nose. “Why did the Vampyr pick you, of all creatures?”

I batted my eyelashes. “Because I’m adorable. Are you going to help him or what?”

They stood over me so tall I had to crane my neck as far back as it would go. Long fingers extended the rose to me. “We are not supposed to intervene. However, we are not forbidden to bless a worthy subject. You are hardly worthy, but the pantheon has agreed. Vastian Fane must not die. Not until fate chooses a new god to withdraw Oltella’s power.”

I narrowed my eyes. “A blessing? New god? What—” I stopped myself and took a breath. ”So you’re going to what? Pat my ass and wish me fucking luck?”

They scoffed, rubbing their temples. “Take this rose, eat it, and you will have the strength of my kind for two days. In that time, we expect you to have eliminated the threat to this Vampyr.”

“Two days! How the hell am I supposed to do that?”

“This is what we offer. This is the help you asked for. Do you decline our blessing?” They arched a brow.

“No,” I chirped.

“Wise choice.”

My shackles dropped from my wrists a moment later. Rubbing my sore bones, I stood. My knees wobbled but held true. I felt even shorter than them now that I was on my feet. Part of me wanted to haul ass out that door because it was one thing to insult these deities assuming they didn’t care or couldn’t hear it. It was another to look one dead in those white eyes.

That day in the tub back at the brownstone, when Vastian lit up like a nova, I felt this exact same thing. I wasn”t supposed to stand in the presence of a god.

I’m going to piss myself.

“Eat it.” They offered me the rose.

I took it gingerly, eyeing it a few times before swallowing the urge to complain about how gross this would be. Then I stuffed the entire blossom in my face.

My eyes watered, and the bitterness on my tongue burned like all hell, but I chewed and chewed.

“Two days, Atreyis Winters. Do not waste our blessing.”

I nodded curtly, holding the stem. As the last chunks of the rose slid down my throat, I asked, “Do I have to eat this, too?”

They nodded once, then vanished into the shadows.

“Fuck me,” I breathed, then folded the stem as small as it would go and bit down.

I’m not sure what I was expecting. There wasn’t a head rush, no tingling—not even an unwanted erection. Nothing felt different. Maybe that was why I hesitated.

No. A god was really here. Sucking in a breath, I walked to the door, gripped the handle, and pulled.

“Holy fuck!” I shrieked when the entire door ripped off the hinges.

Paralyzed momentarily, I dropped the door. Then, a vicious grin spread across my face. Fuck yes.

Skipping up the steps, I kicked down the next door, and it flew across a long hall. Scanning my surroundings, two men righted themselves from their lounged positions against the wall at the end of the hall.

“How did he get out?” one asked the other, ignoring my feat of strength. Assholes.

“Yoo-hoo, I’m still here.” I waved, walking towards them.

Snapping out of their confusion, they charged me. I steeled myself, rooting my legs in place, and they bounced off me. Snatching up the sword that could have been a feather—it was so light—I squatted before them. They bared their fangs, and I rolled my eyes.

“Before I kill you,” I grinned, “where might I find Damian?”

“Piss off!” one spat and jumped to his feet.

“You’re no fun.”

You have to pierce the heart seconds before decapitation.It sounded easy enough. I jammed the sword into his chest, dropped the hilt, reached forward, and twisted his head off. The thud echoed off the walls. The second man ran.

“I’m going to catch you!” I said in a sing-song voice, sprinting after him.

I could complain, honestly, because this would have been so useful fifteen years ago when I was pleading for mercy, but—take what you’re given. Doors blew apart with minimal effort, and even though I itched for blood, for vengeance, the manor was pretty fucking empty. The halls led me to the imperial staircase. I took them two at a time and stopped at the top—a female Vampyr”s conversation with what looked like a maid died immediately.

“Who—what are you doing here?” she asked, ushering the maid behind her.

Examining my cuticles, I smirked. “I’m looking for Damian. Would you be a sweetheart and show me the way?”

When she met my eyes, she hissed, baring her fangs. “I’ll kill you!” She ran at me.

Unfortunately for her, I was ready. Catching her on impact, I tossed her over my shoulder. The impact split the tile floors. Reaching down, I grabbed a handful of her hair and dragged her behind me as I stalked forward. She scratched at my hands, kicking her legs and trying every which way to get out of my hold. Her shrieks alerted more Vampyrs, and they burst from the various rooms.

Dropping her, I ran forward, trying out my battle ram again. They couldn’t stop me. Bodies flew everywhere. Despite not being as fast, the burst was enough to lodge a few into the walls. Laughing, I stole a sword and turned my attention back to the female. Kicking out her legs, she dropped to her knees, and I impaled her. I swung my right foot at the exact moment, knocking her head off her shoulders. Still giggling, I picked up her skull, flipped around, and kicked it through the stained glass window at the end of the hall.

“Did you see that?” I asked the man, jumping down from his body print on the wall and slapping his cheek. “That was fucking awesome!” I clapped my hands.

“He’s a demon!”

“He’s evil,” another cried.

“Where is Damian?” I asked, my fist wrapped in one man’s shirt, hoisting him well off the ground.

“We won’t betray the commander!”

I leaned close, whispering in his ear, “Then you’re all going to die.”

Nothing was going to stop me.

I’m coming, baby, hold on.